Hydrant.



No; 734,251. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

A. 0. BABENDREIER. i

HYDRANT. APPLIOATIONIILBD-JAN.31,1903- no Mon-BL. HEBTS-SHEEI 1.

THE NORRLS PETERS cov wow-urns" wAsmucrum n, c.

. 'A. 0. BABENDREIER.

HYDE ANT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1903. NO MODEL. A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E 1 x J Ls rill 1* 0'? v 41 i J I f um! i 15 N j 16 1 g a/ TNE NORRISFarms co, Pnovauwu. WASHINGTON, n, c.

PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.,

UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HYDRANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 734,251, dated July 21,1903.

ApplicationfiledJanuary 31,1903. Serial No. 141,227. momma To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. BABEN- DREIER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Hydrants, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of hydrants knownas fire-hydrants or fire-plugs, which comprise a stand-pipe adapted tobe connected to a streetmain and provided with an inlet-valve or mainvalve controlling the admission of water to the stand-pipe, and whichvalve is a compression-valvethat is, closes with instead of against thepressure of the water-a dripvalve controlling a drip -outlet, so thatthe stand -pipe may be drained to prevent its freezing after the mainvalve has been closed,

and outlet valves or gates controlling the passage of the water to aplurality of outlet necks or nozzles intended for the attachment of hosethereto.

One of the objects of this invention, as will be hereinafter fully setforth, is to provide in a hydrant of this character an improvedconstruction and arrangement of the main-valve mechanism, drip-valvemechanism, and out let valve or gate mechanism; and another object ofthe invention is to provide an im proved construction of outlet neck ornozzle.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certainconstructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts here.- inafterfully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in

which v Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved hydrant.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the hydrant. Fig. 3is a detail horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately011 the line 4% of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a detailvertical section and a bottom or inverted plan view of a part of thevalve mechanism hereinafter described.

, Fig. '7 is a detail bottom plan of one part of shaft for theoutlet-valve in its bushing. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional viewillustrating a modification of the main-valve mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, theletter A designates the casing of myimproved hydrant, comprising a base-chamber a, intended to be connectedwith a street-main,and a stand pipe or body a, supported on saidbase-chamber and provided with a dome or cap-piece (L The base-chambera, as illustratedin Fig. 1, is provided with a vertically-extendingpassage 1), preferably screw-threaded, and detachably secured in saidpassage by threaded engagement is a valve-seat ring b, provided with anoutwardly-extending stop-flange b adapted to abut against anupwardly-facing shoulder b in the wall of the base-chamber. By thisarrangement the valve-seat ring I) can be readily inserted in andremoved from the base-chamber from the stand-pipe side of the same.

Coacting with the valve-seat ring I) so as to control the passage ofwater therethrough is avalve 0, preferably of soft rubber or similarcompressible material, adapted to seat upwardly against a valve'seat 13formed by the lower edge of the ring I), and also coacting with saidring is a piston 0 above said'valve and adapted to fit within the ringI) and to be moved downwardly out of the latter. to open the same. Thesaid valve and piston are secured on the lower end of avertically-extend- -ing valve -rod (1, in the present instance be-.tweena winged plate 0 on the upper side and a web-follower c on thelower side, the said plate being inserted on the valve-rod andabuttingupwardly against a shoulder thereon and the follower screwing onsaid plate and also held 011 the valve-rod by lock-nuts c, all asillustrated in Fig. 1. By this arrangement of'valve the latter maybeadjusted while off the rod d and then secured on the same by the nut c.

The valve-rod d is provided at its upper end with a circular head (1preferably flat and smooth on top, and adapted to abut against asimilarhead e on the lower end of an actuating screw-rod e. The valve-'rod d and its actuating-rod e are coupled together by an upper andlower coupling member f g, of which the latter, g, (shown in detail inFig.

7,) is provided with a circular opening g, rep ceiving the valve-rod (7,that the same may i f g of the coupling are firmly fastened together bymeans of bolts 71, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The actuating-rod e ismounted in a stufling-box 1', formed in the base-plate 1" of a yoke 1'The threaded portion of said rod works in an interiorly threaded sleevej, mounted to turn in said yoke, and the upper end of said sleeveprojects through the dome a for engagement with a key or other suitabletool.

In the base-plate L" of the yoke is detachably secured a guide-tube 7.,which depends from said base-plate and is provided at its upper end witha chamber 7:, closed at the top, and is also provided with alongitudinal slot 7;. Said tube may be readily taken out and put inplace by merely first taking olf the dome (1. This guide-tube isillustrated in detail in Figs. 5 and (5.

\Vithin the chamber 7.: is located a spring 75 which bears down upon acollar 7, slidable vertically in said chamber, and the said collar restson the upper coupling member f and is adjustably mounted on the upperscrewthreaded end 7 of a valve-stem 7, which is provided with a vane 7received in a forked or bifurcated projection f on the upper couplingmemberf. This projection f, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, is guidedin the slot 7;? of the guide-tube 7:. Hence by the arrangement justdescribed it will be seen, first, that the coupling is confined to avertical movement and is prevented from turning by the projection ftaking in the slot k and, second, that the valve-stem Z is also confinedto a vertical movement by the vane Z taking in the fork of the saidprojection f The reason for providing means to prevent the valve-stem 7from turning is that in hydrants of this character the stand-pipes aregenerally wider at the base than at the upper end, as illustrated in thepresent instance in Fig. 1, and the valve-stem is therefore bent asillustrated. Hence if it were permitted to turn it would be apt to bindand not move freely. In the lower end of the valve-stem 7, which ispreferably tubular, is screwed for vertical adjustment a drip-valve m,adapted to control a drip-outlet m at the bottom of the stand-pipe, andsaid drip-valve may also be adjustedvertically by turning the collar 7on the valve-stem, which will raise or lower the said stem; but it isnot essential that the collar 7 be adjustable. It maybe rigid on thestem 7.

The outlet necks or nozzles n (illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and ti are inthe present instance two in number and each is provided with an exteriorswell or bulge n, which at its widest point is of a diameter justsufficient to clear the inner narrow side of an outwardly-flared opening0, formed in the stand-pipe, and the said nozzle is also provided at itsinner end with an outwardly-extending flange n adapted to abut againstthe stand-pipe wall to prevent the outward movement of the nozzle.

To secure the nozzle n in place it is inserted from the inside of thestand-pipe into said flared opening 0 until its flange abuts against thestand-pipe wall and then molten lead or a similar cementing substance ispoured around the nozzle, as illustrated at 0, Fig. 4. Hence it will beseen that as soon as the lead sets or hardens the nozzle will beeffectually prevented from being pushed inwardly on account of the bulgeformation a. A screwcap 19 normally covers the outer end of each nozzle.

The innermost face of each nozzle 11. forms a valve-seat for a swinginggate q, of which there are'two, one for each nozzle, and each of saidgates is seen red at one end to the square end of a stub-shaft 1, whichis mounted to turn in a bushing s, secured in an opening in thestand-pipe in the same manner as the nozzle '11., before described. Asbest shown in Figs. 8 and 2, the stubshaft 0' is provided with atransverse hole 7', and the bushing s is provided with a circular recessor groove 8, registering at one point with a slot .9 To connect thestub-shaft to the bushing the former is turned until the hole 1*registers with the slot 3' of the bushing, and a pin t is then insertedthrough the slot 5 into the hole of the stub-shaft and bears against thewall of the groove .5" to prevent the withdrawal of the stub-shaft. Thisfastening just described is performed before the gate is secured inplace, and it is to be observed that the formation or shape of thestand-pipe, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, forms shoulders 10,which limit the gates to a movement of an arc of, say, sixty degrees.Now, the entrance slot .9 for the pin t is outside of the said are.Hence when the pin has been once inserted in the hole of the stub-shaftand the latter turned around so as to receive the gate in properposition the stub-shaft cannot be again turned far enough to allow thepin to come out of the slot 5 until the gate has been removed. Thismakes a very simple construction, which prevents any one from looseningor detaching the gate from the outside of the stand-pipe.

To take up any wear on the bushing s or stub-shat t r the hole in thelatter is of slightly larger diameter than the pin t, and a screw oworks through the end of the stub-shaft and impinges against said pin todraw the stubshaft outwardly.

To admit water from the street-main into the stand-pipe theactuating-rod is moved downwardly by turning the sleeve j, and thisaction will move the valve-rod (Z downwardly and will move the valve 0oil its seat and at the same time allow the drip-valve m to move to itsseat to close the drip-outlet m; but it will not effect the opening ofthe ring 7) for IIO the free passage therethrough of water until thevalve-rod d has been moved downwardly still farther-that is, far enoughto carry the piston 0 out of the ring b'and to shut off the water fromthe stand-pipe the valve-rod (Z is raised to first close the ring I) bymeans of the piston c and then move the valve ctightly against its seat,while at the same time opening the drip-outlet m. It will therefore beobserved that the arrangement of valve is such that the drip-outlet isclosed before the water is admitted to the stand-pipe and is opened onlyafter the piston has again shut 0d the water from the stand-pipe. Thislost motion, so to speak, is not effected by any longitudinally-yieldingconnection between the actuating-rod and the valve-rod d, for it will beseen that the actuating-rod, the valverod d, and the connectiontherebetween are all unyielding or rigid in a longitudinal direction,though of course movable longitudinally as a whole; but said lost motionis effected by the construction of the valve with its piston above it,which allows the valve in its initial movement to move off its seatwithout opening the ring I), while at the same time the drip-valve isclosed, and which permits on the return movement the drip-valve to openonly when the valve 0 is being again moved to its seat and after thering b'has been closed by the piston c. This action just described mayalso be effected, as shown in Fig. 9, by projecting the seat-ring(designated w) downwardly to form a flange 10 below its seat 10 so as toallow the valve 0 itself to act as a piston instead of using a separatepiston.

In the practical use of a fire-hydrant having two nozzles and gatestherefor, as illustrated in the present instance, the inlet-valve c isnormally closed and the gates q are both normally open. In case of afire the firemen of the first engine or steamer at the hydrant willunscrew one cap 19 and attach the hose to the nozzle and then open theinletvalve 0. The firemen of the next engine that arrives at the hydrantwill first close the gate of the other nozzle, then unscrew the cap 19and attach the hose to the nozzle, and then finally open the gate. It isbelieved that the construction which enables this operation to becarried out is an advantageous one, as the hydrant can be Very quicklybrought into, active use, which is an important desideratum in case offire.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the hydrant is provided with a thirdoutlet neck or nozzle at for flushing or the like.

It is manifest that the invention is not limited to any specific numberof outlet necks or nozzles.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In ahydrant, the combination of a casin g provided with aninlet-passage; a main valve therefor; a piston adapted to move in andout of said passage above said valve; actuating mechanism for said-valveand piston; a drip- Valve provided with a stem, Z, and a guidingconnection between said stem and actuating mechanism, such connectionbeing arranged to permit the drip-valve to close before the piston hasbeen moved out of said passage and permitting said drip-valve to openonly after the piston has been moved back into said passage to close thesame.

2. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve and valve-rod; anactuating-rod therefor; a coupling connecting said valve-rod andactuating-rod; a guideforconfiningsaid coupling to a longitudinal orvertical movement; a drip-valve; means whereby the drip-valve iscontrolled by said actuating-rod; and means whereby the drip-valve isconfined to a longitudinal or vertical movement by the said coupling.

3. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve and valve-rod; anactuating-rod therefor; a coupling connecting said valve-rod andactuating mechanism and provided with a forked projection; a guide-tubeprovided with a slot receiving said projection; and a dripvalve providedwith a stem received in the fork of said projection.

4. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve and valve-rod, thelatter having at its upper end a head; an actuating-rod provided at itslower end with a head and a non-circular portion thereabove; a couplingconnecting together the said ends of the valve-rod and actuating-rod andcomprising an upper and lower member, one of which'has a forkedprojection, the upper member being provided with a non-circular openingreceiving the corresponding portion 'of the actuating-rod; a guide-tubeprovided with a longitudinal slot receiving the said projection; a drip-valve having a stem provided with a vane received in the fork of saidprojection and said stem at its upper end mounted in said tube; a collaron the upper end of said stem and adapted to rest on the upper couplingmember; and a spring in said tube bearing down upon said collar, as setforth.

5. I11 a hydrant, a stand-pipe provided with an outlet neck or nozzle; aswinging gate adapted to cover and uncover said nozzle on the inside ofthe stand-pipe; a stub-shaft on which said gate is secured and saidstubshaft being provided with a transverse hole; a bushing secured inthe stand-pipe and in which bushing the stub-shaft is mounted, saidbushing being provided at its outer end with an annular groove and witha slot entering into, said groove; and a pin adapted to be passedthrough said bushing-slot into the hole of the stub-shaft to bearagainst the bottom wall of the groove, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve actuating mechanismtherefor, including an actuating-rod; a guide-tube adapted to preventsaid actuating-rod from turning; and a drip-valve whose stem is providedwith a vane arranged for guiding engagement with said actuatingmechanism, as set forth.

'7. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve; an actuatingrodtherefor; a guidetube provided with a longitudinal slot; a forkedprojection rigid with respect to said actuating-rod and entering saidslot; and a drip-valve whose stem is provided with a vane received inthe fork of said projection, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve; actuating mechanismtherefor including an actuating-rod; a guide-tube arranged to preventsaid rod from turning; and a dripvalve provided with a stem whose upperend is received in said guide-tube.

9. In a hydrant, the combination of a main valve; actuatingmechanismtherefor; a guidetube; a drip-valve having a stem whose upper end isreceived in said tube; and a spring in. said tube tending to press saidstem downwardly.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR O. BABENDREIER.

\Vitnesses CHARLES 13. MANN, J r., FREDERICK S. STITT.

